Chitra Prasad, who has taught both middle school social studies and French, eagerly anticipates the start of a new school year. One of her favorite things to do to kick things off is to set up her classroom to provide a warm and comfortable space for her incoming sixth graders.
It’s become a family tradition as both her cousin and daughters have enjoyed helping her design the space. Even with the assistance and the fact that she is entering her 29th year as a teacher, the setup process takes time.
“I’ll probably move the desks around eight times,” she joked.
This year Prasad, who is also the sixth-grade House Leader and the mentor for the community service club, said another cherished ritual while returning to school is making connections with new students and colleagues. One administrator who will be very familiar to her is Interim Principal Courtney Rowley, whom she taught in sixth-grade social studies.
Prasad loves watching the camaraderie during orientation day when the whole school comes together to ensure that the new students feel welcome. The entire staff helps the new students by answering their questions and helping them find their way around. Prasad is always touched by this first day and offers words of wisdom.
“While many sixth-graders come in for their orientation and feel nervous, please know that teachers are nervous too,” she said. “It’s a sense of a newness to all of it for us — more like a nervous excitement for all of us.”
Even new staff looked forward to the start of the year, including WMS’s new librarian Leah Maroni-Wagner. She expressed gratitude for a warm welcome and excitement about collaboration with the teachers.
“As a proud Wayland parent, I am thrilled to have joined a school community that means so much to my family,” she said. “Whether a student needs research help, their next favorite book, or just a quiet corner to recharge, my door is always open.”
Principal Rowley noted that head custodian Kevin Macneil did a phenomenal job of ensuring a major cleaning and preparation of the building for opening.
“At the middle school, we will be centering our staff’s professional learning on joy — joy in the classrooms, joy in the school, joy for students and staff,” said Rowley. “We will be enhancing our practices to increase student engagement through accountable talk, executive functioning and increase students’ sense of belonging. We are also excited to be working to increase student voice this year and will be bringing student government back to the middle school.”
Over at the high school, Alaina Ghetti, Spanish teacher and World Language Department chair, equates the start of school with learning new names and faces and connecting with colleagues she hasn’t seen since June. It also elicits some joyful sensory memories such as the feel of the “crisp air in the early mornings, the feel of breaking in new shoes, and the smell of freshly copied pages.”
“One of my favorite things about teaching is the annual fresh start,” she said. “In a profession that requires constant adaptation, growth, and flexibility, that ‘September energy’ is vital and invigorating.”
“In large part, it’s thanks to our amazing students who arrive on their first day of school with an influx of enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness,” added English Department Head Peter Galalis.
The focus for teachers this year will be n the CKLA/Camino curricula, continuation of last year’s Super Wednesdays Professional Development with Sarah Ward and Jessica Minihan, and a deep dive into year two of a Portrait of a Learner initiative.
In addition to attending workshops, preparing slideshows, and delivering great lessons, WPS teachers will be doing what they do best: learning about their students and making strong connections that will grow over the academic year.
Prasad says one of her best stories about school came from advice she gave to her own daughters.
“Be open to new experiences,” she told them. “As students, my girls ended up doing cross country skiing after trying it out in a club at school. There are so many new things to try whether it is skiing, debate club. Keep an open mind to new experiences.”
The district welcomes the following new staff for the 2026-2027 school year:
Claypit Hill School
• Sabrina Collins, grade 4
• Kaia Martin, kindergarten
• Molly Lamothe, kindergarten
• Annabel Cohen, grade 4 (co-teacher)
Happy Hollow School
• Nicole Abbruzzese, kindergarten
Middle School
• Elizabeth Kim, ELA
• Sarah Chupka, ELA
• Max Thew, band/general music
• Ryan Watts, drama
• Kayla Mack, METCO academic liaison
• Leah Maroni-Wagner, library
Wayland High School
• Kanchan Kant, math and department head
• Olivia Rhein, choral
• Yonghoon Yoon, math
• Jen Campbell, academic support
